The present invention relates to a service providing system, an apparatus and a method for information processing, and a program, and particularly to a service providing system, an apparatus and a method for information processing, and a program that make it possible to provide services via a network effectively.
FIG. 1 shows an example of configuration of a conventional service providing system for providing a portable terminal 1-1 or a stationary terminal 1-2 (hereinafter referred to simply as a terminal 1 when it is not necessary to distinguish the terminals from each other individually; the same is true for other cases) in different forms (different in terms of processing capabilities, using methods and the like) which terminals are possessed by a user A with services corresponding to the forms via the Internet 2 (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-117292).
The portable terminal 1-1 is connected to a service server 4 for portable terminals, which server is managed by a service provider for portable terminals, via a repeater 3 and the Internet 2, to be supplied with a predetermined service for portable terminals from the service server 4 for portable terminals. In a case where the portable terminal 1-1 is a portable telephone, for example, musical data of a musical piece to be reproduced at a time of reception of an incoming call is delivered to the portable terminal 1-1 from the service server 4 for portable terminals.
The stationary terminal 1-2 is connected to a service server 5 for stationary terminals, which server is managed by a service provider for stationary terminals, via the Internet 2, to be supplied with a predetermined service for stationary terminals from the service server 5 for stationary terminals. In a case where the stationary terminal 1-2 is a personal computer, for example, video data of a movie or the like is delivered to the stationary terminal 1-2 from the service server 5 for stationary terminals.
However, in the conventional service providing system, the service provider for portable terminals and the service provider for stationary terminals providing respective services in different forms, for example, do not provide each other with information about services provided to users, and do not provide services using the information. Therefore, for example, the service provider for stationary terminals does not recommend or sell to users a service for stationary terminals (a movie using a musical piece as a theme song) related to a service content for portable terminals (the musical piece to be reproduced at a time of reception of an incoming call) provided by the service provider for portable terminals.